Premier League giants Arsenal are keen to sign Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, as confirmed by the player’s agent. The Gunners were interested in his services for a long time but didn’t make any bid for the defender during the January transfer window.
However, that being said, head coach Arsene Wenger is reportedly wanting to splash the cash on the Juventus youngster in the coming summer.
Davide Torchia, the agent of Daniele Rugani told Radio Sportiva, ” Daniele’s doing well, I’m happy for him.
“Arsenal? They didn’t launch any attempts for him.
“They expressed a liking for him but we have respect for Juventus.” – he added.
Arsenal signed attacking superstars in Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the January transfer window but lack quality depth in the central defensive department.
Considering the fact that the Arsenal defence has fared poorly so far this season, conceding 35 goals which is more than any other side in the top seven, the Gunners could really use some defensive reinforcements in the summer.
Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi have normally been their preferred defensive partnership, however, head coach Arsene Wenger has also opted for a three at the back system, at times. Mustafi, however, has looked quite tentative more often than not, during the course of this season, regarding not just his defensive abilities but also his ball-playing qualities.
Daniele Rugani, therefore, could add a bit of steel in their defensive department. The Italian has the talent as well as the quality to thrive in the Premier League. Having been honed under the leadership of Massimiliano Allegri, the youngster has successfully integrated himself into the rigid defensive ethos of Juventus, which will definitely prove to be helpful in the future.
The 23-year-old defender has struggled with lack of game time, racking up only 945 minutes of league action., therefore, a move away from Juventus does make sense not just for the club but for the player as well.
Rugani’s current contract at Juventus runs until 2021, having signed a four and half year contract with the Old Lady back in December 2016, meaning he will not come cheap if they are to sign him up next season. However, the Gunners should definitely splurge the cash on the Italian defender considering their defensive frailties this season. It will be interesting to see how his transfer saga takes shape in this coming summer.